tea headaches, HELP!!

Hello
I am a recent tea convert. I have converted from coffee. In the past I weould drink tea in the afternoon, or evening and only occasionally. But I was very sick with the flu several weeks ago, and the smell of coffee was aweful. Sooo I have begun drinking tea altogether, which I love, I only have one problem. I am experiencing nasty headaches! The muscles in the back of my neck cramp up, horribly. I know it is from the tea, because I have performed a few experiments and have found this to be the culprit! Doea anyone have any suggestions for me? I really don't want to go back to coffee (the only kind I could drink anyway was organic) I like tea, bnut don't like these headaches. Thanks for your help.

Puzzling but I'm intrigued. What experiments have you done to convince you it is the tea causing the headaches? Why didn't the tea cause headaches before (you stated you drank it in the p.m. and only occasionally)? Are you drinking any different kinds of tea now? What precluded the drinking of the tea? Perhaps it was an activity that may have strained the neck muscles or something. Funny as enjoying a cup of tea usually helps ease my tension headaches. Well, I hope this finds you headache free and/or that someone may be able to post a remedy for you.
PlantFan

Have you considered that this could be a result of replacing the caffeine levels you're accustomed to (coffee) with a much lower caffeine level (tea)? I know that if I go without my tea, I get a headache.

I'm wondering if you might not be sensitive to the tannins that are in tea but not coffee. There is speculation that the tannins can trigger migraines (though I haven't been able to find any definite evidence.) Do things such as red wines and cheeses give you headaches? Those contain them as well, and if tthey do you might just be tannin-sensitive.

Thank you for your reply's.
I heard from a "tea savvy "friend of mine who said I should diminish the amount of tea That I am using in the pot, and also change the brewed tea into another vessel after the 3 min. brewing time to diminish the Tannic acid.
As far as tests on myself, I am a personal trainer, and Pilates Instructor. I am very health consious. Everything I eat and drink is a decision. It has to be for me to maintain my weight and energy level. I used to drink 2-3 cups of Starbucks strong coffee over the period of a day. I would sometimes get tension in the back of my neck, but not too bad. That is why I couldn't understand why tea's caffine would bother me. The only new thing I have introduced into my diet is a higher level of consumption of tea. When I don't drink it, no headache, when I drink it tension uo the back of my neck and head occurs. I think I was just drinking it too much , it tastes so good! But I think I have incurred a high level of Tannic acid in my system, along with not enough water drinking. I spoke to a client of mine who's neighbor is a nurse and she (the nurse) can't drink tea for the same reasons as me. I was hoping for some advice on this page, hoping someone had heard of this problem before. Thanks for your help. I am going to try the less tea approach tomorrow am.
Lorna

Once I slipped on the deck of a pool and hit my knee, and after that out of no-where I would get these headaches right in the back of my head/neck (the upper neck, lower part of my head) they would come on so fast it was like snapping your fingers, and they were so painful I couldn't stand up when it happend, I remember I was about to go to the ER it was so bad but then it went away, and it never came back, I assumed it was a pinched nerve.

I've also found I get headaches in this same area when I'm stressed out.

Thanks for the reply's again, tried it this am, it is definitly the tea. Being a Chiropractic assistant and Personal Trainer, I am familiar with nerve pain, muscle tension, stress pain etc. I really didn't want to have to explain or convice anyone of the authenticity or origin of the neck pain and headache. I know it is the tea, I was just looking for anyone else who had heard of the issue! Thanks for your asistance, I'll try some other outlets.
Tea on!
L.

Richard wrote:I'm wondering if you might not be sensitive to the tannins that are in tea but not coffee. There is speculation that the tannins can trigger migraines (though I haven't been able to find any definite evidence.) Do things such as red wines and cheeses give you headaches? Those contain them as well, and if tthey do you might just be tannin-sensitive.

Hey Richard
Thanks for taking the time to reply, I think you've got something here, I know it is something also to do with the type of caffine in tea vs. coffee, and I was wondering if you knew if the tannins could leave a metal taste in my mouth? Thanks for taking the time to reply.

Metal taste? What kind of setup do you have for making tea? Also, how exactly are you brewing it? What kinds of tea, what temperature, what amount of time? And, of course, what kind of teapot and tea kettle? Any of those could make it taste metallic.

Also, where are you purchasing your tea? What kind do you drink, usually? Black, oolong, green, white?

We might be able to help you figure out something that you can drink, or some way of preparing tea that won't give you headaches.

What happened to me- Ater a while I started getting headaches from yannan gold and I found if I do the 30sec decaf trick that this stop. not the same problem as you but I just wanted to share. oh and it was only with yunnan gold and no of the other I have

Yes i do add milk, and what is the 30 sec. decaf trick? To answer brewing questions etc: I am drinking some loose leaf tea that my girlfriend brought back from England for me. It is English Breakfast, or earl Grey, or Ceylon, or green. Otherwise in bag tea I have been drinking Chai, or Indian spice. (Harney and Sons brand) I like black or spicy tea, not crazy about green, to me it tastes like mud! I brew my tea in boiling water in a china tea pot. I let it brew/steep for 2-3 min. then strain into a china cup through a silver tea strainer. I drink it with milk, and Stevia. Is there something I should change? I have come to believe it is not the caffine that is causing the headahes but the tannic acid. I thought I'd try some red African tea, I have some So. African friends that told me about it, she can't drink reg. tea for the same reason.
L.